Who Will Be within the LA Clippers’ Rotation Shifting Ahead?
When the Clippers finally begin to improve (fingers crossed) head coach Tyronn Lue has a good problem: the Clippers rotation for the remainder of the regular season and the postseason.
In the last month alone, LA had games where they had four starters. In these situations, players will see 10-12 significant minutes at the end of the bench, and for a team the depth the Clippers have, this is not too much of an issue. In fact, it can give Lue some insight into who might be able to make a difference in the future. For example, Luke Kennard and Terance Mann have made significant strides over the past month. But last night as Patrick Beverley made his long-awaited return from a recurring right knee injury, both Mann and Kennard played under 10 minutes, and the majority of the minutes they played came in garbage time after the Clippers had theirs Had cemented victory.
When asked about the new rotation, Lue made it clear that it is not set in stone.
If anyone else got the short end of the racket, it would be reasonable to assume that it would have been Reggie Jackson, considering he was out of rotation earlier in the season. He also plays the same position as Rondo and Beverley, but Lue decided to push him up and play him alongside Rondo as a shooter. His three-point shooting makes him a good off-ball threat, but he’s not as dangerous as Kennard on a percentage basis (41.8% vs 48.5%, although both are respected by the defense).
Mann gives the Clippers an off-the-dribble dynamic that they don’t really get off the bank now that Lou Williams lives in Atlanta. His athleticism and speed also make him a transition threat for a squad in LA who is otherwise extremely half-place oriented.
Perhaps, as with many coaches in the NBA, Lue trusts experience with youth. With the exception of Mann, Kennard and Ivica Zubac, everyone in the Clippers rotation has at least 10 years of experience.
As Lue made clear, this rotation could be completely different by tomorrow. Lue has always talked a lot about Kennard and Mann and understands the time they invested throughout the season.
